Beirut (AFP)

Popular anger was expressed against banks in Lebanon, a country stuck in an economic crisis and a political dead end, with acts of vandalism against establishments that adopted increasingly severe restrictions on their customers.

After clashes in front of the Central Bank in Beirut, where police fired tear gas and charged hundreds of protesters, banks were vandalized on Hamra's commercial artery.

Armed with paving stones or fire extinguishers, tearing off the signs to use them as a ram, the protesters attacked the distributors and the windows of several establishments.

Elsewhere in Beirut, a fire was lit at the entrance to the Association of Lebanese Banks, before being quickly circumscribed.

The internal security forces announced that they had made 59 arrests while the clashes left at least 37 injured, including police, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.

In a country in the doldrums that has been living since October with the rhythm of an unprecedented challenge against a ruling class deemed to be corrupt and incompetent, the banks are crystallizing much of the anger due to increasingly severe restrictions.

On Wednesday, the affected bank branches reopened despite the damaged windows, an AFP correspondent said. Employees picked up the broken glass and attempted to erase the tags and graffiti. Others have inspected damaged distributors.

"I have a sick person at home, and I have to pay the nurse. The restrictions they have imposed make life impossible for us," she said.

- "Dangerous chaos" -

In the midst of a shortage of the greenback, used in Lebanon in the same way as the national currency, withdrawals are limited to around a thousand dollars per month.

And it has become almost impossible to make transfers abroad.

In agencies, customers come to withdraw their quota and the queues get longer, with altercations between customers and tellers.

Officially, the Lebanese currency, indexed to the greenback since 1997, keeps the same fixed rate of 1,507 pounds for one dollar. But, in exchange offices, it lost almost half of its value, sometimes climbing to 2,500 pounds for a dollar.

Savers accuse banks of taking their money hostage, while allowing politicians and senior officials to make transfers abroad.

The Central Bank has announced that it is investigating capital leaks. She also said she wanted to unify and provide "legal cover" for the draconian bank restrictions.

After a breathlessness which coincided with the end of year celebrations, popular demonstrations have resumed since Saturday. In recent weeks, only symbolic and smaller gatherings have taken place, notably outside the Central Bank.

The situation is complicated by the political deadlock: since the resignation at the end of October of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, his government, in charge of current affairs, has been accused of inertia. Hassan Diab, designated as his successor on December 19, has still not formed a team.

If the street demands a cabinet made up exclusively of independent technocrats, the main political parties are continuing negotiations aimed at preserving their representation.

Deploring "increasingly virulent demonstrations" and "a falling economy", the UN special coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis did not mince words.

"Politicians, don't blame people, blame yourself for this dangerous chaos," he wrote on his twitter account.

© 2020 AFP